Combined air and water control for stopers



H2, 1957 M. O'FARRELL COMBINED AIR AND WATER CONTROL FOR STOPERS Filed Jan. 15, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 am M. O'FARRELIL 223% COMBINED AIR AND WATER CONTROL FOR STOPERS Filed Jan. 15, 1954 r 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. M/l TTHEW 0 WIRRELL cONT'lNUED cw FRG ZQ firm/PAM) ZJQQJM March B2,, W5? M. OFARRELL COMBINED AIR AND WATER CONTROL FOR STOPERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed. Jan. 15, 1954 March 12, 1957 M. O'FARRELL COMBINED AIR AND WATER CONTROL FOR STOPERS Filed Jan. 15, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 l V INVENTOR" Z9 MATT/15W OHWRELL United States Patent COMBINED AIR AND WATER CONTROL FOR STOPERS Matthew OFarrell, Utica, N. Y., assignor to Chicago Pneumatic Tool Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 15, 1954, Serial him-404,298

6Claims. (Cl. 121-40) chuck parts of the drill when the drill has ceased toro'perate, it has been customary to have two tubes extending through the drill parts, one for the water and one for the air, with one of the tubes within the other. .Thishas necessitated tubes with thin walls in order to economize on space, and breakage of the tubes has frequently resulted. It is necessary at times of shut down of the drill to leave the drill in the hole being cut and t if air isanot substituted for the water when the tool is shut down the residual muck and cuttings will enter theifront end of the machine through theopening in the drill cutting element with resultant injury to :the drill parts.

It is accordingly one object of the invention topro vide a stoper that may supply water and air to .the "hole being drilled without requiring two thin tubes and with but a single tube.

It is another object of the invention to provide a combined airand water control for rock drills .of .thei'stoper type wherein automatically asthe throttle valve is turiied to initiate the operation of the rock drill, water issuppliedthrough the delivery tube and drill cutting element to the'inner end of the hole being drilled 'and wherein automatically'asthe rock drill is cutidown andthe water turned off, compressed air is delivered to the working point of the tool bit to prevent'the residual *muckand by prevent the injury to the working apartsof the'irock drill, and wherein the air -will be automatically .shut ioff when the rock drill is started up againand thewater 2,784,701 Patented Mar. 12, 1957 conventional two tube type stopers and wherein the air and watercontrol forms a part of the back head and a unitary assemblage requiring merely the substitution of the back head assembly for the prior back head of the conventional type of stoper.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a combined air and watercontrol for rock drills of stoper type wherein the control is embodied in the back head ofthe stoper, which is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacturehas a minimum number of parts, compact and consumes. little space, easy to. assemble, little chance of breaking, durable, automatic and efficient in operation.

.For other objects and a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the rock drill of stoper type embodying the combined air and water con tro1-of the-present invention, the drill bit penetrating a partially drilled hole in a mine roof and with thefeed 'leg supported on the mine floor;

:Figs. 2a, 2b, 2c constitute a substantially full sectional view taken generally online 2-2 of Fig. 1=with one view being a continuation of another, the Fig. 2a showing the .operatingmechanism for the cutting-element with the tool bit extending therefrom and lying'within the chuck parts ofthe drill, Fig. .2b showing the back head embodying the combined water and air controlof the'present invention andFig. 2c showing the lower end of the feed leg mechanism;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the stoper alongthe region of thebac'k head and with portions of the'back head housing broken awayto show the air throttle valve;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the back assembly broken away to show the combined air and water control parts and the single water and air tube extending therefrom, the view being taken generally on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, but with diagrammatic'view of the operating handle therefor;

-Fig. Sis an end elevational view of the back head withportions broken away to show the interior of the water valve and the detent means for the throttle valve; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the detent valve as viewed on line 66 of Fig. 5; cuttings from entering the front of the'drillfiand theresupply again automatically directed to the inner end! of in the hole'being drilled to clean the cuttings therefrom;

it is another object of theinvention to provide a combined air and water control for the rock 'drills of the stoper-type employing automatic change over 'water to air upon turning the throttle valve from the working to the o position a one way valve backedupby water 2 pressure whenthe rock drill is operatingto rnaintainan air seal and prevent the entrance of the airto the delivery tube atthat time and at the'same timeto preventwater from reachingthethrottle valveto set up-corrosion thereplug being substituted for the-prior plugused for'the Fig. 7'is a fragmentary sectional view of water supply passage extending from the valve element to the delivery tube and as viewed on line7-7 of Fig. 4.

Referring now particularly to Fig. l, the general construction of the rock drill of the stoper type will be described. This stoper comprises a cylinder assembly 21, a back head 22, a front head structure 23 and a telescopic feed legassembly 24, all of which are held in fixed axial relationship by through bolts 25 and 26 disposed in guide lug-s on the opposite sides thereof and respectively tightened by nuts 25 and 26. A chuck 27 extends from the front head structure 23 and receives and retains arock cutting drill element 28 having a .cutting head .29 that drills a hole 31 in rock 32 when the stoper is operated. Stopers have particular use in mines for drilling holes in the roof of the mine opening for the accommodation of roof bolts. The feed leg structure 24 base cylinder 34 and a feed piston joint 35 engageable with floor 36 of the mine opening and operates automatically to feed the rock cutting drill element 28 into the rock .32. as the cutting action is elfected. A holding handle structure 37 extends from one side of the cylinder structure 21.

The back head 22 has a throttle handle 38 extending from one side thereof and an air .inlet swivel 39 at the opposite side thereof to which a hose 40 is connected plunger 113 that is urged toward circumferentially spaced holes 114 in the enlargement 79 by pressure detent spring 115 backed up by threaded plug 116, Fig. 5. By this means the throttle valve is held in its on and off positions.

It should now be apparent that there has been provided a special back head construction adapted for use with but a single water and air delivery tube that extends forwardly through the internal parts of the stoper in order to deliver alternately water and air to the inner end of the hole being drilled in the rock. It should also be apparent that automatically as the operator moves the throttle handle 38 between the on and off positions, the water and air supply is automatically controlled. Immediately and automatically as the stoper is started, the water supply is delivered to the inner end of the hole and automatically as this stoper is stopped, the water supply is dispensed with and air is automatically delivered in its place.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a rock drill of the stoper type including air powered means for driving a drill steel, a rotatable throttle valve controlling a source of pressurized air to the air powered means, and an open ended delivery tube for, conduction of fluid to a channel through the drill steel,

a fluid control arrangement including a water control valve actuable upon rotation of the throttle valve to a first position to allow a flow of water to the delivery tube, the throttle valve in said first position providing communication of the air source with the air powered means, and a check valve disposed between an open end of the delivery tube and a passage leading to the throttle valve and arranged to prevent flow of water from the delivery tube to the throttle valve, the throttle valve being adapted when rotated to a second position to close off communication of the air source with the air powered means, to disable while being so rotated operation of the water control valve so as to shut off flow of water to the delivery tube, and to communicate when in its second position the source of pressurized air with the said passage so as to effect unseating of the check valve and pressurized air flow to the delivery tube.

2. In a rock drill including a backhead and having a rotatable throttle valve arranged in a throttle valve chamber formed in the backhead and a delivery tube for conduction of fluid to a drill steel, a fluid control arrangement including, water inlet means arranged in the backhead and a first passageway which leads from the water inlet means to a water valve chamber disposed in the backhead, a check valve assembly positioned in one end of a counterbore in the backhead the other end of the counterbore being adapted for connection by a second passageway to the water valve chamber, said counterbore being adapted to receive an open end of the delivery tube, a valve element in the water valve chamber, a third passageway for conduction of pressurized air from the throttle valve chamber to the check valve for passage therethrough to the counterbore, the check valve normally blocking the third passageway off from the counterbore to prevent passage of water into the third passageway, and cam means upon the throttle valve adapted to move the valve element when the throttle valve is in a first position so that water may flow from the water valve chamber into the second passageway, and being further adapted when the throttle valve is in a second position to allow the valve element to stop water flow from the water valve chamber into the second passageway and to allow flow of pressurized air into the third passageway.

3. In a rock drill according to claim 2, wherein a valve seat is arranged in the water valve chamber, and a spring means is adapted to urge the valve element toward seated engagement on the valve seat to prevent flow of water from the water valve chamber into the second passageway.

4. In a rock drill according to claim 3, wherein the check valve assembly has a valve element which is nor mally maintained in seated position by means of a compression spring and which is unseated by action of the pressurized air when the throttle valve is in second position.

5. In a rock drill according to claim 4, wherein a spring loaded detent pin is arranged in the backhead to selectively engage detents upon the throttle valve to maintain the throttle valve in set positions of rotation.

6. In a rock drill of the character described including a hollow drill steel, air powered means for driving the drill steel, and fluid delivery means communicating with the hollow drill steel; a check valve; and control means for effecting in a first operation flow of pressurized air to the air powered means and flow of Water through the delivery means to the hollow drill steel, and effecting in a second operation shut-off of pressured air to the air powered means, stoppage of water flow through the delivery means and flow of pressurized air through the check valve to the fluid delivery means, the check valve being effective during the first operation of the control means to block flow of water from the delivery means to the control means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,614,026 Gartin Jan. 11, 1927 2,251,224 Curtis July 29, 1941 2,562,468 Lear July 31, 1951 

